Ya Heard: Maybe rapper really can help troubled youth

"To judge a man's character by only one of its manifestations is like judging the sea by a jugful of its water."

Clifford "T.I." Harris' series "Road to Redemption" aired on MTV last week and by the looks of it, the show seems to be a success. For those of you unfamiliar with T.I.'s story, here's a synopsis:

Clifford "T.I." Harris is a 28-year-old, multi-platinum-selling hip-hop star from Atlanta. He is the artist behind current hits such as "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna, "Whatever You Like," and "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake. Harris made headlines in late 2007 when he was arrested for attempting to illegally purchase firearms from a federal agent. Because he was already a convicted felon due (from crimes com-mitted before his highly successful rap career), Harris was facing up to 30 years in prison. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to firearms charges in an extraordinary plea deal offered to him by prose-cutors. In the deal, Harris was ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service and pay a $100,000 fine. If all this is completed, he will be sentenced to a one-year prison sentence on March 27. Got it? Good!

To his credit, T.I. set himself apart from those society deems "gangster rappers" by acknowledging and accepting his troubled upbringing, but at the same time not glorifying it. Throughout his young career, Harris has connected to many through the recounts of his trials and tribulations. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to put lipstick on a pig. Without a doubt, you will hear a fair share of explicit language on a typical T.I. album. However, more importantly and more so noticeably in his music is a celebration of achievement and a message to impressionable fans to not make the same mistakes that he did as a youngster. Principles such as these are what encouraged Chevy Automotive to offer Harris an endorsement deal back in 2006. For those who may have some trouble deciphering between your average "gangster rap-per" and an artist such as T.I., here's a simple way to figure it out: A "gangster rapper" will not appear alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Chevy commercial to the backdrop of "Sweet Home Alabama."

Upon hearing the news of Harris' plea deal with prosecutors, I was a bit puzzled. While I was relieved that he would not spend the rest of his adult life behind bars, I was puzzled as to what benefit prosecutors saw in having Harris spend 1,000 hours speaking to troubled youths. I even wrote a piece about it in this column expressing my concern with the issue. At the time, I thought the idea would send mixed messages. I couldn't see how someone who has, whether directly or indirectly, benefited from his criminal past, tell young minds headed down the road of failure that crime doesn't pay. I saw the idea as an encouragement to those troubled youths to continue down their dead-end path so they could be a multi-platinum selling rapper like T.I., completely ignorant of the fact that stories such as Harris' are one in a million.

In addition, I thought these young minds would be oblivious to the fact T.I. was only the finished product of Clifford Harris. These handful of troubled youths would miss the fact that in Har-ris' case, it wasn't crime that paid … it was persistence and a dedication to hard work. It is often very easy to take in and accept the finished products of the Michael Jordans, Donald Trumps, Howard Schultzs, Oprah Winfreys and Beyoncés of the world, while giving little thought to the hard work and sacrifices these people have endured to get there.

Harris' road to success may or may not be the typical American story familiar to many of us, but after watching the first two episodes of "Road to Redemption," it is clear T.I. may be one of the few people able to reach and correct some of the individuals in the series. It is now more apparent what prosecutors foresaw when they offered Harris the deal -- who better to talk to these troubled youths than someone who speaks their language and is genuinely hopeful these kids will change their ways?

'Til next week, Peace!!!

P.S. For anyone interested, I highly recommend "T.I.: Road to Redemption" airing new episodes every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. You can check out the latest episode today at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on MTV.

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-200-4928 or YaHeard40@gmail.com.